With Nina and Alex’s 10th birthdays fast approaching, I really wanted to find some fun and exciting (socially-distant) things to do. Thanks to COVID, all of our usual summer plans have been quashed, and most activities still do not meet my strict criteria of deeming something safe. I learned about the Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure on a Momma’s Facebook page. Being a scaredy-cat and a wimp, I am never one to suggest venturing to an amusement park. I hadn’t been to one (besides Disney) since I was very young, and I had no intentions of ever returning, but a bit of research revealed that this journey would meet my list of requirements: Adventure? Check. Socially distant? Check. Not too far to travel? Check. EUREKA! I found something!
Driving to Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure
The drive from the Upper West Side in Manhattan to Jackson, NJ takes about 90 minutes. The lack of traffic on a Sunday afternoon was astounding! For the curious: we stopped to use the facilities at a rest area in New Jersey. Everyone was wearing a mask and only about half of the shops and food stands were open. I was nervous about using the bathroom, but it was actually quite clean. I used a small plastic baggie (the kind I use to pick up dog poop😊) on my hand to open, close and lock the stall door, and the sinks and paper towel dispensers were automatic.
A Cautionary Tale
You must purchase your timed tickets for the safari online. They cost $20 per person and everyone in your car must have one. Triple check that your shopping cart contains only the amount of tickets that you need, because there are no refunds or adjustments. I accidentally bought 8 tickets instead of 4. Realizing my mistake right away, I called and spent more than 2 hours trying to rectify the situation, but in the end, I had to accept the loss. My bad…but SHAME ON YOU SIX FLAGS‼!
Getting Into the Park
It took almost 30 minutes to get from the welcome sign to the first gate of the safari. The only interaction with other humans was when a masked employee scanned our tickets through the open car window. Signs instructed us to tune-in to a radio station, but the announcement was just one continuous loop of basic rules…things like stay in your car and keep the windows up (although, predictably, several morons couldn’t abide by these simple edicts).
Tell us about the awesome stuff!
According to the Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure website, the attraction features “1,200 animals from six continents”. There are 11 sections, each with an employee stationed by a small guard post. Here are some of our favorite parts:
- super fun road blocks!
- voyeurism!
- bears!
- lots and lots of zebra
- giraffes (the best part!)
…and the not-so-awesome stuff?
- Ah…so that’s where all the cars were
Although the website says the safari will take about an hour, in actuality, it took almost two (not counting the wait to get in). I blame that mostly on the mobs of cars…it was like a giant parking lot in the middle of a zoo! I guess the timed entry didn’t work so well. It was super slow with a lot of down time so be prepared with some good tunes or a compelling audiobook for the young-uns.
- a lost opportunity
It is a shame that Six Flags hasn’t made more of it’s radio connection. They should have provided animal fun facts, interesting stories, and music from their native lands. Also, although there were a few signs to identify some the species represented, they were scant. Unfortunately, I hadn’t realized at the time, but there is a safari guide available online (hashtag: momfail#2of the day).
- unequal distribution
It is notable that, especially toward the end of the attraction, most of the animal (including the bears) are on the passenger side. This makes it difficult for those on the left had side to see, especially little ones.
What’s the bottom line?
So, I think that this is TOTALLY worthy of a trip during the era of COVID. The animals were plentiful and it was really fun to see some of them so close up. We debated the pros and cons and granted the following ratings:
- Alex (age 9) rates Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure 9/10; he especially enjoyed the roaming animals.
- Nina (age 9) gives it a 6/10 because she was on the driver’s side of the car and couldn’t see the bears, but she did love the giraffes (we all did!).
- Renato and I agreed with Nina for the not-so-awesome details noted above.
If you enjoyed this post about our trip to Six Flags Wild Safari Drive-Thru Adventure, you may want to check out my other posts about COVID: